Symptoms

Pain and tenderness around a joint, especially the hand, wrist, foot, or ankle

Pain when moving a joint

Redness along the length of the tendon

Fever, swelling, and redness may indicate an infection, especially if a puncture or cut caused these symptoms.

Signs and tests

A physical examination shows swelling over the involved tendon. The health care provider may touch or stretch the tendon, or have you move the muscle where it is attached to see whether you experience pain.

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Rest or keeping the affected tendons still is essential for recovery.

You may want to use a splint or a removable brace to help keep the tendons still. Applying heat or cold to the affected area should help reduce the pain and inflammation.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen can relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Local injections of corticosteroids may be useful as well. Some patients need surgery to remove the inflammation surrounding the tendon, but this is not common.

Tenosynovitis caused by infection needs immediate treatment. Your health care provider will prescribe antibiotics. In some severe cases, surgery may be needed to release the pus around the tendon.

If there is no infection, a steroid injection may be used to decrease inflammation along the tendon sheath.

After you have recovered, do strengthening exercises using the muscles around the affected tendon to help prevent the injury from coming back.

Support Groups

Expectations (prognosis)

Most people fully recover with treatment. However, if the condition is caused by overuse and the activity is not stopped, tenosynovitis is likely to come back. In chronic conditions, the tendon may be damaged and recovery may be slow or incomplete.

Antibiotics are necessary for tenosynovitis caused by infection. Without prompt treatment, permanent stiffness or pain may occur.

Complications

If tenosynovitis is not treated, the tendon may become permanently restricted or it may tear (rupture). The affected joint can become stiff.

Infection in the tendon may spread to other places in the body, which could be serious and threaten the affected limb.

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